Godzilla: Legacy of David Elric
by Godzillatamer
Summary: A mysterious man washes up on the shores of New York City days before the arrival of a fearsome creature that catches the citizens of Manhattan off guard. The struggle for survival and truth begins on this day. Chapter 4 is up and running!
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I do not own Godzilla: The Series or the 1998 movie; they are the property of Fox studios. The exceptions to this rule are characters of David Elric and Steven Tenecora, who are of my creation. Anyway, enjoy the prologue to this epic tale!_

Godzilla: Legacy of David Elric

Prologue

The door is opened slowly by one of the guards; he sweeps through the entire room looking for any sign of the intruder. It is a long and narrow meeting room, where the officials would come to hold their biweekly meetings. As he searches around the room, part of the ceiling gives way and reveals a pair of legs, dangling from the newly-made hole. The guard reaches up and pulls him down, discovering that the corpse is of one of the guards he was associated with. Shocked, he grabs his radio and presses the transmit button.

"HQ, this is patrol unit 1104."

"This is HQ, report your status."

"One of the missing units has been discovered in the sector A-3 meeting room. It looks like they were killed by the hands of the intruder."

"… All units, be on the lookout for non-personnel, the intruder is on he move. Permission to open fire on the target is granted." The guard puts away his radio and walks out the door, leaving without showing any concern for his fallen comrade. On the way to his post, he tries to calm himself down.

"Take it easy; you're a soldier. Death is the essence of your life; a sight like this shouldn't be new to you." The guard pauses for a moment and thinks about the person he found in the ceiling. He recognized him as one of the new recruits that were hired only weeks ago. Why would an experienced infiltrator dispose of new recruits so harshly? The guard shakes his head. "Poor rookies, they never stood a chance. I mean, they barely-" Before he can finish his sentence, the guard is grabbed from behind and restrained. He attempts to break free, but it ceased to be of use.

"Apparently, neither did you." The intruder snaps his neck and drags the body back to his earlier victim, and slams the door shut. The intruder is a middle-aged man; he is Caucasian with a blonde ponytail and green eyes behind small rectangular glasses. He dons a long blue coat that rides down to his ankles as well as a gray neckerchief. He wears a thick belt across his waist and baggy grayish-black pants with heavy duty boots. Not the optimal choice for a stealth mission, but it was his signature outfit.

He navigates through the maze-like corridors and past several guards until he locates a room where file cabinets lay at every corner. He begins digging through each one, but stops suddenly as he locates a folder marked with a small, yellow tag. Inside are documents detailing secret nuclear experiments taking place under the eye of the French government and reports on the experiments written by the very scientist that conducted them; this was what he was looking for. He pulls the folder from the cabinet and reaches for his earpiece:

"This is agent jira reporting. I have successfully recovered the files."

A female voice responds, "Great work agent, but you're not, how do you say, 'out of the woods' yet. Your last goal is to destroy the base and everything within it."

The intruder scoffs. "That's too bad. I don't think I packed enough explosives to bring down the entire place, but I can manage."

"Don't worry, there's a self-destruct mechanism this time around. Head to the main control room in sector G-7, there you can start the initial sequence. Your extraction point is on the pier, there is a speed boat that you can use to sail back to base."

"You know, I never understood the purpose of a self-destruct mechanism. It makes my job almost too easy."

The contact sighs. "Did I just hear a complaint? This is coming from a man who spends his 'hard-earned' salary on low-tech weaponry and alcohol?"

"Hey, my weapons are absolutely fine; not once have they broken down or jammed up on me."

"Whatever. Spare me your defensive comebacks and just complete the assignment."

"Alright, fine. Keep in mind the last time I used the equipment given to me, I could barely finish the mission with all of the noise it was making. I'm proceeding with the mission objective; Jira, over and out." He disconnects the earpiece and leaves the room. On the way to his destination, Jira takes a moment to reflect on why he is in this situation. He recalls that in exchange for his service and cooperation, he would be given protection and support for his past actions. In a deep state of mind, he loses his place and triggers a laser trap, sounding the alarm.

"The intruder has been spotted in sector F-4! All units are to report to the area and bring down the intruder!"

"This isn't right! I've seen guards pass by that area several times, why didn't the alarm go off for them?" A surprised Jira begins charging through the narrow hallways to flee the scene. Moments later, he arrives at the G-7 control room. After clearing the room of the workers, he takes a place in front of a monitor and begins typing in the self-destruct sequence. He hears a gun click behind him as he nearly finishes his mission.

"You almost did it. Had you not been so careless, you would probably be on your way out of here by now. Answer me this: did the sensors go off because you weren't fully focused, or have you finally been outsmarted?" Jira turns around to see a young man in his 20s. He is slightly tan and outfitted in a military commander's uniform. "I'm not sure whether not it's good to see you again. It's been years since we last met, but here we are in opposite factions."

"Steven Tenecora." replies the stealth operative. "What exactly are you doing here?"

"I would ask you the same thing, but I already know the answer. Much like you did, I left the military to pursue something greater. I, at least, didn't leave everyone asking questions. That reminds me, the area you were spotted in has sensitive laser sensors all along the walls. They don't affect my men because they are wearing a specially designed uniform that reflects the beams from the sensors. Weren't you just asking yourself that?" Jira gives the man a cold stare. "What's wrong, old friend? Did my superior planning leave you speechless?"

"No, I was just wondering why you haven't killed me yet. It's a bit odd that-"

"That's because I don't have the reason to do so right now. Are you really this impatient about death, umm, 'Jira' is it? Such a strange codename you would give yourself. It wouldn't have anything to do with why you left the army, right major?"

"That's none of your concern. Steven, don't make me kill you. I trust you, and I just want to finish this mission and get out of your way."

"Maybe that's what your problem is, major." Steven points the gun at his head. "You're TOO trusting."

"Commander!" shouts a voice from Steven's radio. "Something's been spotted in the south-east area of the island!" Taking advantage of his rival's distraction, Jira disarms him and throws him to the floor. Shocked, the commander gives his former commanding officer a blank look.

"It's funny how quickly the tide can change in the midst of battle. A soldier is supposed to be trained to stay focused and on task, otherwise they end up in a position similar to yours." An angered commander tries to stand up, but is held back by a loaded gun. "Feel free to answer your radio, I'll be right back" He walks to the keyboard to finish the sequence, keeping a close eye on his downed opponent. Steven reaches for his radio and presses down on the transmit button.

"Report, soldier."

"Sir, no one knows what ran through the island, but the locals aren't pleased with it. Whatever it is, we've lost sight of it. As of now, we're searching-" There is a violent trembling throughout the building. The two former U.S. soldiers take note of the loud explosions nearby. "Oh my god! What is th--" too much static and background noise keeps the signal from coming in clearly. "Sir, it's destroying… brushing off… no effect on… we need…" The transmission ends abruptly; the commander repeatedly attempts to get a response, but there is no such luck. He can't help but notice a smirk on the intruder's face.

"What do you know about this!?"

"I'm not saying anything, but what I will tell you is that I hope you have a reliable transport out of the area." Jira slams down one of the keys, and a robotic voice echoes throughout the base.

"Warning, the self-destruct mechanism has been activated. All personnel must evacuate the area within 5 minutes."

Steven chuckles lightly. "What makes you think you can escape in less than 5 minutes?" He pulls out an object blinking a bright red; a distress signal. "No hard feelings, old friend." He begins laughing maniacally

"None taken." Jira pulls the trigger, releasing a bullet straight in to his rival's kneecap. Steven yells in pain and curses his name as he tries to suppress the bleeding. "Don't worry, old friend, it's just business." The agent states as he charges through the door. Shortly afterwards, several guards rush in to the room; they immediately run to their commander's aid after seeing his wound.

Jira runs through the corridors, impressed that every soldier was either dead or preoccupied with their commander. The rooms near the exit are destroyed and filled with the fresh bodies to the guards. Most of the area is aflame, but he pays it no mind. Outside, there is a heavy storm with occasional thunder and lightning. Jira sees a small speedboat in the outskirts of the island. Storms weren't very common in Jamaica, but some of them were worse than this one. He hops into the boat and looks at his watch; he escaped the building in two minutes flat, a new record.

Inside, the guards are carrying Steven out of the room when he notices a man in a blue coat fleeing the island; documents in hand. He is then brought to the controls, where he punches in several keys. This brings up a targeting reticule that locks on to the speedboat. He watches the man sail away from his base as he finishes typing in the command.

"Just business." He exclaims as he presses the final buttons. One of the soldiers points to a timer on one of the monitors that count down from 1:30. The men leave the room when the words "torpedoes fired" flash on the screen. Disappointed that he cannot see the rest, Steven is carried out of the room and into his escape boat. He sails away from the island, pleased with the idea that payback has been achieved.

On the other side of the island, Jira gazes at his watch and counts down from 5. On 0, he hears a satisfying explosion behind him. Feeling triumphant, he cheers and reaches for his earpiece.

"Agent Jira reporting, my mission is complete. I'm on my way back now."

"Congratulations. Perhaps next time, you can try and keep the alarms from going off. That is the purpose of a stealth mission, no?

"Come on, give me a break. At least my 'low-tech' weapons didn't-" He hears an obnoxious beeping noise in the background.

"Agent! They have fired several torpedoes locked on to your boat!" Surprised, the agent turns around to see oval-shaped bulges propelled in his direction. "Get out of there!"

"Then what? You want me to swim out in the open ocean in a storm like THIS?"

"Just do it!" Jira jumps into the ocean, just dodging the explosion of his escape vehicle. This pushes him deep underwater and knocks the air out of his lungs. Struggling to ease the burning pain in his chest, he swims to the surface only to have the tides push him back. The result is having his head clash into a rock uncovered by forceful tide. As he loses consciousness, a voice calls to him from the earpiece.

"Agent, are you all right? Respond, say something! David, come in! David!"

The agent slowly sinks to the floor when he hears another voice calling to him, but it isn't coming from the earpiece. It's almost as if the voice is in his head.

"David, don't be afraid, you will be fine. I can take over from here, just hold on a little bit longer David. Please, do it for me…"


	2. Warrior's Intervention

_This is chapter 2 of my epic LODE story. I want to thank everyone that has read through the first chapter, but please don't be afraid to leave a comment! I want to know what YOU think! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Enjoy!_

Warrior's Intervention

All across New York City, a thunderstorm has been pouring down for days, showing no sign of stopping. The city's residents rush to get to where they need to go while running through the rain. Things were particularly busy in lower Manhattan; it was the morning rush hour; everyone is either at work or on their way there. A fish market on the southern-most tip of the island was filled with workers, busy loading trucks with hundreds upon hundreds of fish. Walking down the pier is an old man donning the typical fisherman's outfit, armed with a pole and a fresh supply of bait. The other workers openly mock the old man.

"Hey, what's the matter with you pops? You're not going to catch anything in this storm!"

"That's not gonna stop me." The old man snaps.

"Fine, I'm not the one wasting my time trying to catch a cold." He and several of his peers laugh as they sit and watch the old man fish. Moments go by without a sign of life, when the hook is dragged underwater.

"Look, I got a bite!" shouts the old man. The workers exchanged shocked looks as they watch the fisherman do his job. He happily reels in the line, only to discover what he hooked wasn't a fish. After reeling and tugging for a bit, he realizes that he hooked on to a man wearing a long blue coat with heavy-duty boots and grayish-black pants. He shouts for the workers to call an ambulance while he checks to see if the man is still alive. The man shows signs of being submerged in cold ocean water for an extended period of time; however the man's body maintains a normal body temperature and a steady heart rate. Puzzled, the old man stays by his side until the ambulance arrives. The Paramedics gently lift the man in to the vehicle and rush to the nearest hospital. They examine him and notice that the man suffered a concussive blow to the head.

Halfway to the hospital, the paramedics notice the man staring blankly towards the sky. They try talking to him, but he gives them no response. The man begins to mutter something, but they can't make it out. After a few minutes, he begins to speak loud enough to understand. He raises his arm as if he is reaching for something.

"G…G…Go…g…God…G…God…G…God…God…God…" He repeats himself several times over, not even acknowledging the people around him. Moments later he begins twitching uncontrollably to the point where he begins seizing. The medics restrain the man as he continues screaming "God" and uncontrollably twitching. They arrive at the hospital on time so the man can be treated. He catches the attention of everyone they pass by. He is taken to an empty room, where a nurse injects him with a fluid that slowly but surely calms him down. The seizure halts, and before the man falls unconscious, he whispers something under his breath; all that can be understood by the doctors was the word "God"… 

The man wakes up in a hospital bed, unaware of his location. He looks around and spots one of the hospital nurses cleaning up his room. He attempts to talk to her, but is blocked off by a sharp pain in his head. She notices the patient groaning in pain.

"Good to see you've finally woken up." She said. "You were out cold for quite some time."

"Ugh… where am I?"

"New York City; you were found on the shores of lower Manhattan. Good thing, too. You could have frozen to death, not to mention your head wound could've been infected…"

"What head wound?"

"That pain you felt a minute ago? Apparently, you hit your head on something pretty good. Do you remember what happened before you hit your head?"

"No, I don't."

"Were you out at sea when this happened? The doctors believe you were on a boat before you fell off and landed on a rock."

"I don't know. I'm not even sure who I am."

"The doctors said you might be suffering from temporary memory loss. You also might feel a throbbing sensation in your head once in a while; I'll go get your pills. They'll help with the pain." She leaves the room to go get his medication. She returns with two small pills and a cup of water.

"Sir, do you believe in God?"

"Excuse me?" The man gives her a confused look.

"Well, while you were being transported here, you kept calling to God. It was pretty scary; you were seizing and screaming about--"

"I was seizing?" The man interrupts.

"It's common given the situation. Sometimes when someone takes a hard enough hit in the head, the brain may have to 'reset' itself. Seizures help the brain in this task, and--"

"I know what a seizure is! The point is I was seizing! I can't remember a thing, and I don't even know WHAT is going on, and WHY--" The man feels a sharp pain in his head, cutting off his outburst. He clutches his head tightly for a few moments. He takes a deep breath and grabs the pills and water from the nurse. The man shakes his head in disgust. "How long does amnesia last?" He says as he forces the pills down.

"No one can really say. We can't tell you exactly when your memories will come back; it's different for everyone. Don't worry though; we've had people in worse condition than you. Sometimes people remember things in no time, sometimes never at all." The man loses hope of getting answers from this woman, and despondently stares out the window. The nurse bites her lip after realizing what she just said. "It'll be easier if you can get some rest. You'll be able to think clearly when your injury heals." She walks out the door, leaving the man with his thoughts. He realized that he was in one of the world's largest cities, lost and alone. The pills will only ease the pain, but they can't help him remember what he has lost. He spends several hours pondering through his thoughts only to come up with nothing. Giving up entirely, the man decides that maybe some sleep would do him some good. After all, the nurse did tell him that it would take some time.

The door in the room slams shut, waking the man from his slumber. He stands up and tries to see who has left his room. He sees no one in the hallway, wondering who exactly came to visit him. He dropped the thought with the assumption that a nurse probably walked in on him sleeping. He returns to his bed only to realize a small parcel was left on his bedside. He lifts the box and realizes that it is actually heavier than he would have expected. Inside is a small tape recorder; the man takes his seat on the bed and slowly puts the recorder to his ear as he presses the play button.

"Hello, my friend." The man speaking through the recorder has a heavy French accent. "It is unfortunate to have to rely on such means of communication to reach you, but you were resting by the time Monique and I arrived. The doctors told us of your condition; so you are most likely wondering who I am or who exactly Monique is." That name almost resonated through his mind. "Before that, allow me to tell you more about yourself. You are a special agent currently employed by the French government. You are one of the highest ranking agents allowed to work on the field. You accomplished your missions under the codename of 'Jira'. Your real name, however, is David Elric."

As questionable as all of this information sounded, there was something about it that sounded very familiar. At that moment, the man truly believed himself to be this David Elric; it rang too many bells in his head to be incorrect. David listens intently to the tape recorder. "After the success of your last assignment, your escape was interrupted by enemy fire; we lost your signal and we couldn't reach you through the storm. Regardless, your mission was still a success; the documents that were stolen would have left our government in a very uncomfortable position. We couldn't recover them from you, but the current was very cooperative and took care of that for us." The voice chuckles lightly. "I know all of this sounds rather fictitious, so take a closer look in the box." David grabs the box and can feel several items shifting around inside. He finds a secret compartment and inside he finds a wallet that contains credit cards, a considerably large wad of money, and an I.D. card that reads "David Elric" and a picture of his face. The compartment also contains a watch, two custom-made handguns, one revolver, a single box of bullets, several magazines, a flare gun, and a beautifully crafted combat knife. Many of these things set something off in David's mind, but some of them were brand new to him.

"By now, you should have recognized many of your favorite toys inside. The revolver and flare gun are presents from Monique. Don't forget to thank her when the two of you meet up. Speaking of which, there are some things I have to say which you most likely won't believe if I told you now. It would be easier to tell you this face to face when we have proof. The address of the meeting point is in your wallet." David searches his wallet and finds a thin slip of paper with an address written across it. "By the way, try to keep a low profile. You have a habit of drawing attention to yourself, and with the local news stations fighting for your story, anyone with a television will be able to recognize you. In fact, the 10:00 news should be airing right about now. Try and get some rest, David. You may be a skilled agent, but even you are going to need to sleep at one point." The tape reaches the end of it's recording, stopping abruptly. David puts the recorder and the rest of his things back in to the box as he grabs the remote and turns on the TV, amazed by the fact that this pre-recording was perfectly timed.

"Good evening New York City, I'm Charles Caiman, and this is WIDF news. Today is May 18, 1998. This rain storm isn't going to call it quits any time soon, and it's certainly filled with surprises. In one of our strangest cases yet, a man was washed up in lower Manhattan early this morning, and no one can tell how he got there. The doctors are baffled about the man's injuries; they have told us he suffered a blow to the head and was floating in the ocean for quite some time. Any other victim would have froze to death in the below zero water, but what makes this man so special is that he was perfectly fine and still alive. It may be safe to say that he was attacked from behind with a blunt object before he fell into the ocean; however they cannot determine how long ago this may have happened. The police are looking in to this case and trying to determine if this was attempted murder. Currently, he is being treated in the New York Downtown Hospital, where the true answer can be reached once he is well enough to speak. We will keep you updated in this story as it progresses. Tomorrow, Mayor Ebert is scheduled to give a speech regarding the election…" David turns off the TV, satisfied now that he has a basic idea of the situation. He decides to go and meet up with this man in the morning. What was bothering him was when the man mentioned something he wouldn't believe without proof. David wanted to dismiss this entire possibility of all of this being one large setup, but he figured that he can get the answers he is looking for once he finds this man. 


	3. The Price of Innocence

_I am so sorry that I have taken so long to write a third chapter. I haven't lost interest, it's just that I'm pretty lazy and I have had major writer's block. Thankfully, I have the Godzilla movie, which is my fountain of inspiration for this story. Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for this loooooong gap!_

The Price of innocence

David was awoken by the constant bickering of those who he assumed to be doctors. He can hear them arguing about which patient should go to which room. He rises from his bed and steps outside of his room. It was as if the entire hospital was under a complete state of Pandemonium. Flatbeds zoomed by him; each one with a morphine bag being emptied into the bloodstream of a screaming patient. Some of the people had broken appendages; some of them had blank expressions and couldn't move, some of them were coughing smoke and couldn't breathe, while others weren't even breathing. Each of David's attempts to get an answer out of the staff led to either a cold shoulder or a slight glance; after all, he was in perfect condition, save his memory. Why should they care about a healthy patient when there were other people bleeding and screaming in pain? Surely, the doctors had more to worry about than yesterday's news.

Realizing this, David rushed to his room, hoping the answer to this enigma was within the view from his window. Outside, there were dozens of cars abandoned in the middle of the street, and not one person was in sight. All of this left David puzzled, but then again all of the hospital staff had their hands full, meaning this was the best opportunity to get out of this place. While looking for the box filled with his belongings, he trips over something near his bed. After taking a closer look, David realizes that it is another package, possibly from the same person who gave him the previous box. On it, he found small slip of paper, with something scribbled on it:

"David,

This is because those hospital gowns make you look ridiculous."

Monique

After all this time, David realized that he was actually wearing one of those demeaning robes. Ashamed that he would even go outside wearing such a ridiculous outfit (if it can even be called that), he opens the box hoping that this Monique already took care of this problem. Inside he finds a long blue overcoat with grayish-black pants and a neckerchief. There is also a gray vest, a thick belt and a heavy pair of boots. The outfit did seem pretty excessive, but it was better than what he was currently wearing.

After figuring out how to properly put all of the clothes on, he felt strangely comfortable. The outfit was pretty heavy, but that didn't bother him too much. After packing away all of his belongings in his pockets (the fact that they all fit so comfortably may have contributed to the weight of the outfit), He left his room and walked calmly down the stairs. The fact that he made it to the lobby and out the door without being so much as acknowledged meant that either he was that great of a secret agent or all of the doctors were too busy to care. Either way, he safely made his way out of the hospital; he pulled out a small card which had the address he was told to go to. Judging by the nearest street signs, his destination was pretty far, and it would take some time before he could successfully walk the way there.

David was taking his time strolling through the New York City Streets, and as a result the trip felt like it took much longer than necessary. David was trying to resist the urge to hotwire the next car he sees, and the only thing that kept him from doing so was the fact that there were too many cars in the way; a New York Taxi can only take so much damage. His journey through these maze-like streets known as Manhattan was much larger than David anticipated, and with each step he took, the desire to "borrow" one of the abandoned cars grew even more. He reached his critical point when he came across a sleek, blue Kawasaki motorcycle. After a close inspection, it looked like it was still in working condition; he lifted it up from the ground and made several attempts to start the engine; the engine refused to start. Frustrated, he kicks the bike back down on the ground.

He hears a low purring noise coming from the motorcycle as he walks away. As he goes back towards it, he hears is a loud thumping noise; it is accompanied by a swift tremor that shakes all of the cars on the block. The alarms ring through David's ears, who just regained his balance. While contemplating the possibility of an earthquake, the ground trembles again. Each tremor grows stronger than the last until the point where the source of these tremors seems to be real close. He rushes toward the bike trying to get it to stand properly. His skin grows pale as his eyes behold something he has never seen before. Standing several yards away was an incredibly large creature, standing an estimated 300 feet tall. The creature's tail swings carelessly through the buildings, cutting through the steel beams with little trouble. The blue spikes on its back run down its spine, resting on top of countless scales. The creature's huge snout releases a powerful roar, deafening David temporarily. Its orange eyes are focused intently on the small human beneath it, slowly walking towards him; each step taking him much closer than David would have liked.

Despite the adrenaline running through his veins, he was much too paralyzed to move. If he moved, the creature might attack; if he didn't, odds are he wouldn't live to see the next day. With little time to react, he reaches into his pockets, hoping to find something that could help him out; low and behold, he pulls the flare gun he received as a gift from his pocket! Keeping in mind to thank Monique as soon as he meets her, David aims the flare gun straight up in to the sky. As the creature draws closer, he squeezes the trigger and listens to the whistling of the flare as it ascends to the sky. Just as he had hoped, the creature was distracted by the bright light coming from the glowing red orb. This may be his one opportunity to escape, so he dashes to the motorcycle, lifts it from the ground and drives away from the creature. The loud hums of the engine snap the creature out of his trance, and spot a man in a blue coat speeding away on a bike. The creature loudly bellows as it begins its pursuit.

David zigzags between the unattended yellow cabs and town cars, occasionally glancing behind him, taking note of the creature's ability to step over (or on) the vehicles he tried so hard not to crash into, he was amazed by how fast the creature was running; despite it's size, it twisted and turned just as gracefully as David on the bike. It was also catching up to him, forcing the driver to increase his speed. He was lucky enough to stumble upon a road with considerably fewer cars in the way, allowing him to accelerate without having to worry too much about what was in front of him.

"Come on! Why is this thing only going after me!?" David screams. He remembered being the only person speeding down the road, let alone being outside. Confused and veiled in fear, David's driving became more and more reckless, leading to close calls and the shortening of the distance between him the thing chasing him. He unknowingly put himself close enough for the creature to snap his jaws at him. The loud clamp of its teeth startled David as he increased his speed.

The idea of what this creature would do to him as soon as he was caught flowed in to his mind. More than likely, it would simply step on him, crushing David in to a pool of blood. Perhaps the creature was on the hunt for its next meal, but he was much too small to even be a snack for it. He shook the thoughts out of his head and kept his focus straight ahead. The creature leaped forward in an attempt to cut off David's escape, but she shifts to the left and leaps off of its foot. David leans forward as the creature just misses catching him in its mouth. He sighed in relief as he looks back; his eyes meet the creature's, who stares right back at David before it starts running again.

At one point, David realized that the creature was no longer chasing him. He slows the bike down to a stop and takes a good look around. The ground isn't shaking, the thumps can't be heard, and not a living creature was in sight. He began laughing nervously; perhaps he actually outran this massive beast. Maybe this is all just a trick, and the monster wants him to think he has won. Regardless of the situation, David decided to find his way back on the path to the address on the card. He catches his breath, calms himself down and starts it back up. He has no idea where the creature led him or how far off track he was, the only thing he can recognize is the MetLife building; from there his destination won't be too far off on bike.

Suddenly, countless shards of glass and metal are hurled in David's direction; in the center of this is the very creature that refuses to give up the hunt. He immediately u-turns and prepares to flee for his life once more. Shielding his eyes from the raining glass, he tilts the bike too far over to the left. He tumbles off and hits his back hard on a yellow cab; his legs trapped under the very bike he was riding. The Creature slowly makes his way toward the vulnerable human. Hoping it would buy him some time, David fires another flare from his gun; this time the creature pays it no mind, it must have learned that he was using these flares as a distraction. The creature extends his arm towards David, as if it wanted to grab him. Unsure of what may happen, David shuts his eyes and turns away, hoping that whatever it was about to do was quick and easy.

Moments later, he peaks through the corner of his eye and notices the creature lifting the motorcycle from his legs and tossing it aside. Confused, David sits still as it begins smelling him, taking in his scent. It leans even closer towards him; the agent grows unsure of what to do and what will happen next. He finds himself at a standstill and covered in the monster's saliva. It began licking him gently, as if it wanted to console the very person it almost killed and massage his wounds. Its large tongue stroked across his body; as cute as the gesture was, David was disappointed by how much his clothes were ruined, especially after all the time he spent trying to put it on correctly. He rises from the ground and shakes off as much saliva as he could, too grossed out to respond.

The monster whines and stares at David with the same eyes that saw him as prey. This time, they seemed to portray joy and relief. He returned the look, except there was less emotion and more confusion. The staring contest seemed to stir up contradicting emotions within David. He felt puzzled and scared, and yet there were also feelings of peace and warmth. It was like staring at a puppy; he couldn't help but smirk. He felt the urge to touch the creature, feeling that it trusted him enough to be that close. He wanted to reach out and rub its scaly snout, but immediately withdrew his hand after coming to his senses.

The whirrs of a helicopter can be heard over their heads. Behind the sliding door is a man wearing a soldier's garb, lowering a ladder and shouting for him to grab on. The creature roars powerfully at the pilot in an attempt to drive them away. While it was distracted, David grabs on to the ladder, hanging on tightly as the pilot lifts the helicopter in to the sky. The beast looks up as David is being airlifted above the skyscrapers, far out of its reach. Its orange eyes look directly at the agent, who returns the look. This entire situation was making less and less sense to him as he went along; he didn't even know if his contact was still alive. He hated having amnesia, knowing almost nothing only emphasized how important it was to get his memory back.

Several minutes later, the helicopter slows and down in what appeared to be a base of some kind. There numerous tents sheltering computers and the soldiers operating them. David drops down from the ladder, taking in the sight. Everyone seems to be in a rush, tending to some manner of business. A small entourage of people head towards David, one of them steps forward and greets him.

"David!? Is that really you?" The man is wearing a hat and a major's outfit; he was obviously a man of power. He recognized David, who was too confused to give a proper response.

"Umm…. Uh…"

"Come on, David. It hasn't been that long." David tries to force a name out, but nothing happens. He focuses on the man's face, letting his mind wander. An idea crosses his mind. He wasn't 100 on it, but he gives it a shot.

"… Anthony…Hicks?"

"There ya go, David. It's been a while, huh? Over ten years, I can't believe it's been this long."

"Time flies." He sighs in relief, thankful that he was able to remember something on demand. Perhaps his amnesia would fade faster than he thought. Anthony apparently hasn't seen the news, otherwise he would know of David's mental condition.

"By the way, let me introduce you to a few of the guys here. This is Nick Tatopoulos, a scientist in the nuclear field." He points to a man with brown hair in a red jacket and tan pants. David shakes his hand. 'This is Mendel Craven, our technology and robotics specialist." Craven has blond hair and dons a lab coat. He sneezes in his hand prior to shaking David's; it appears accidental, but he draws his hand back and simply nods towards him. "Lastly, this is Elsie Chapman, our paleontologist." She is wearing a green sweater and brown pants. Elsie flips her red hair and proceeds to shake David hand.

"Everyone, this is David Elric. He's a good friend of mine, and a damn good soldier. He also happens to be an expert in the general sciences. He might just be able to help us out."

David raises an eyebrow. "Help with what?"

"You should be aware of this by now, but there's some type of monster rampaging through Manhattan. The helicopter pilot tells me you were face to face with that thing. What's that all about?"

"I wish I could tell you, Anthony. So much has been going on, I'm not sure of anything anymore."

"Regardless, you were lucky the pilot saw your flare; you probably wouldn't be here if he didn't." They pause for a moment. David frowns on the thought. "I almost forgot to ask. What brings you here?"

"It's a long story."

"Alright, that tent over there isn't occupied, you can explain everything there." The group walks towards the tent when Hicks' phone goes off. He pulls it off and looks at the number. "You guys go on ahead, I have to take this." They proceed towards the tent as he picks up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello Anthony, how's it going?"

"Hey there. How are you doing?"

"Ah, you know how it is; business never seems to take a break. So I hear something's going down in the Big Apple."

"Yeah, it's pretty weird. There's some big lizard going around causing havoc in Manhattan."

"Are you sure it isn't just a terrorist attack?" The man sounds confused.

"Nope, we have eyewitnesses, plus it's all over the news. Speaking of which, you'll never guess who's here."

"Surprise me."

"You remember David Elric? We found him face to face with that thing and just barely saved him." The man doesn't respond. "Hey, you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. It's been a while since I last saw him."

"I know. It was pretty weird, too. At first he didn't seem to recognize me, I'm pretty sure he still doesn't recognize me. Do you know what may have happened to him?"

"Sorry, I don't. You know, I was actually planning a trip to the city."

"Great, the three of us can get together like old times. Hey, you want to talk to David? He might remember you."

"No thanks, I want to keep it a surprise when I meet him."

"Alright then. See you soon, Steven."

"Later, Anthony." They both hang up their phones; Steven sits back in his office desk.

"So that's where you're hiding out, huh David?" Steven says to himself. "Excellent."


	4. Dissonant Deception

Dissonant Deception

Steven leans back in his chair, staring fervently at the clock. A report was being compiled on the details of the incident in Jamaica. Despite all of the trouble David had caused, it didn't even go up to half of the total damage done. He remembers the transmission he received from one of the soldiers, reporting on something that appeared to be unaffected by their attack. Unfortunately, his message was cut off before a proper description could be given. This unknown detail was itching at Steven's mind since that day. What exactly was David's plan? He had been asking himself that question since then, and a complete answer was yet to be found. All he knew was that David's intention for that mission was tucked away in that compilation of files.

What exactly was in those files? Even Steven knew that any particular agent would have been able to complete the mission; the place wasn't heavily guarded, and the architecture of the building was pretty straightforward. Apparently David volunteered to take up the task, which in the end, he nearly gave up his life to complete. Whatever was in there, he really didn't want anyone to know about it.

Steven rubs his forehead, unable to put the pieces together. With such little information, a proper conclusion could not be made. He sighs deeply and reaches in to his pant pocket. He pulls out his wallet, which he proceeds to open and pull out a small picture. It showed Steven, David, Anthony and several of their friends hanging out at a bar. Everyone was happy and having a good time, especially the three of them. David was called in for a special assignment in France, so clearly he was going to be gone for a few days, perhaps even weeks. Everybody wanted to see him off, so they got together and threw him a hell of a bash. A few days later, he left on his assignment and occasionally called Steven to keep him up to date on his well-being as well as sneaking in a few jokes about the women and their _au natural _lifestyle_. _

After that, connection to David seemed to halt. He didn't call, he didn't write any letters, and every attempt to reach him was never answered. The guys grew more and more concerned about their good friend, and worried if anything had happened to him. This went on for a few weeks, when he personally wrote Steven a letter. At first Steven was overjoyed to be hearing from him again, but his mood changed while he was reading. Although he failed to specify anything, David mentioned something happening while on the job. He also mentioned the letter that was attached to the one Steven was reading; it was a letter of resignation. David resigned from his position in the U.S. Special Forces. At first Steven thought this was a horrible joke, but he read on and discovered that David was telling the truth. He was not only leaving the army, he also said he would never be able to face Steven or the rest of their friends again.

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be able to handle the shame if I had to see you. It would be impossible for me to explain what I've done. In honor of the United States and its Special Forces, I have no choice but to say goodbye. Farewell Steven, you have always been my most trustworthy friend.

David Elric"

Everyone was surprised to hear the news. Their good friend, whom everyone looked up to, suddenly forced himself out of their lives. Everyone was mostly concerned with Steven, who happened to idolize David and was proud to be one of his best friends. He, along with everyone else, tried to move on, but David made too big of an impact on their lives to easily push aside. They did still meet up in David's honor, and always left one seat open just for him.

Several years passed, and they were able to go on with their lives peacefully; everyone except Steven. He had decided to leave the army as well; we told them he simply wanted to move on and do something with his life. He promised to keep in touch, and with that he was off. What he didn't tell them was that he was really looking for David. He was offered a promising job offer from an unfamiliar business looking for a new head of security for the entire corporation. The pay was good, and it allowed him to travel the world in the name of business; he happily took the job.

Steven made his base in France, where he had hoped to encounter David. He had no such luck. In his free time, he wandered the streets of France with the idea that David would be walking around as well. It was only one day where this had happened. Through the crowded streets and several feet away from each other, their eyes had crossed. At that instant, the person he believed to be David immediately turned his head and walked the opposite direction. Steven chased him down to an abandoned pier, where he seemed to vanish.

Back at work, Steven was receiving several reports of attempted break-ins by unknown perpetrators. Having captured one of them, the security was able to force a confession out of him: he worked directly for the French government and was ordered to keep surveillance on the corporation. After spending some quantity time with the agent, Steven got him to talk about how he knew a guy named David Elric; that was all Steven needed to hear. He ordered a counter strike and had several of his own agents steal any top-secret documents they could find.

He never expected to meet face to face with David so suddenly. Steven hadn't stopped and determined what he would say when he would meet David again; the result was the unnecessary anger he displayed to his friend.

At first, Steven was worried that he may have overdone it when he tried to kill David. It relieved him to know that he was still alive when he called Anthony, but his concern grew when he said David didn't remember them. Had David really forgotten his friends? Did he somehow force his memory of Anthony, and perhaps that of everyone else, out of his mind?

He stuffs the picture back in his wallet; Steven finally decided how to resolve this conflict. If he is going to get any answers, then he has no choice but to confront David once again. He looks at the clock; it was about time the damage report was finished. Steven walks out the door, where his secretary, Delilah, was typing away on her computer.

"Delilah."

"Yes, Mr. Tenecora?"

"Could you please check if I have anything important scheduled for this week?"

"No problem, sir." She responds with a smile. Delilah pulls out a planner with small notes scribbled across the pages. After scanning through the pages, she lifts her head from the book.

"Nothing outside you usual workload."

"Excellent." Steven smiles at her. "I'm going to be gone for a few days, so can you leave the files on my desk for when I return?"

"Of course."

"You're a lifesaver." He passes her a wink. Delilah blushes lightly as Steven playfully walks out of the door. He navigates through the hallways, making small talk with any co-workers he passes by. He enters a room where several analysts are busily working at their computers. He approaches a particular analyst, who seems to be expecting Steven. He stands up to greet him.

"Right on time. Very punctual, I must say." He snickers.

"That's me." Steven smiles. "So what have you found?"

"Well, not much I'm afraid." He sits back down and turns towards his computer, going through numerous files. Steven stands beside him. "Thousands of dollars in damages were done that night. Thanks to the intruder, there was almost no evidence. He basically took out every security camera along with the facility. Thankfully, he missed one that was placed in the outer perimeter. It recorded several seconds of his escape." He plays the video. It shows small speedboat quickly swimming away from the building. The person riding the boat is seen in a long blue overcoat, with a thick belt, dark-colored pants and heavy boots. He triumphantly stares at his watch as the facility's self destruct system does its job; the explosion violently shakes the camera and abruptly ends the recording.

"That's it?" Steven stares at the monitor with a grimace.

"You haven't seen the best part yet."

"Hurrah, the festivities continue." He sarcastically twirls his finger in the air.

"How would you react if I told you we recovered footage of the thing that attacked the island?"

"Do you now?"

"Just watch this." Steven focuses intently on the recording. His face slowly drops as the beast is uncovered. It stands high above the facility; all of the attacks against it doing practically no damage. With minimal effort, it kills all of the attacking soldiers and destroys most of the building. The beast triumphantly stands over the remains. It pauses, cautiously looking around before returning to the ocean.

Steven remains speechless as the recording ends. "That was what destroyed the base? What manner of creature was that?" He believed the video to be some cheap special effect done in order to put some extra money in the analysis team's pocket, however the phone call with Anthony proved otherwise. He mentioned a large lizard rampaging through the city. Could this have been the same monster?

Steven suddenly came to a realization. Apparently, there is a pattern between David and the oversized lizard. Wherever David happens to be, it pops up nearby. Is there some type of relationship between the two? Or is it just coincidence? Was it simply drawn to something… or was it following David? Wild theories began running through Steven's mind, but none of them were able to make much sense.

The analyst rapidly waves his hand in front of Steven's face. "Don't worry man; almost everybody had the stunned, speechless reaction you have now." Realizing he was being ignored, he quietly goes back to his computer; the commander was too busy trying to make sense of everything to be able to hold a steady conversation.

"Can you play the video one more time?" Complying with his wishes, the analyst loads the very same recording. Steven watches his men be mercilessly slaughtered by this enigmatic monster. If this creature and the one in New York are the same thing, then there was only one thing to do. Steven thanks the analyst and proceeds out of the door. He picks up his cell phone and searches through his list of numbers, finally dialing the one he was looking for. A man with a raspy voice picks up the phone.

"I need to go to New York City. Today… I know what's going on there, but I need to get there today… Personal affairs. You understand, right?" The man refuses. "Don't give me that. It's important to me that I get there… I'll tell you why if you take me… I'll pay for everything; I just need someone to fly it." The man sighs. He finally agrees to do it. "Thank you so much. Can you meet me in an hour?" There is a slight pause. "Excellent. See you there." Steven hangs up the phone and keeps walking down the hall. He goes to the elevator and presses the call button. The doors open and Steven enters, pressing the lobby button. He sighs deeply as the elevator doors close behind him.


End file.
